


Attack on the Divergent - The Spark

by Societies_Of_Stardust



Category: Divergent Series - Veronica Roth, Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: AU, Crossover, Divergent, Gen, Original Character(s), attack on titan - Freeform, shingeki no kyojin - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-21
Updated: 2019-05-22
Packaged: 2019-11-01 15:09:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 15,329
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17869559
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Societies_Of_Stardust/pseuds/Societies_Of_Stardust
Summary: Unquestionable loyalty is usually expected from all faction members after their Choosing Day. Of course, in a perfect society like the five factions, where everyone knows where they belong, why wouldn't it be? And when fighting between factions breaks out, everyone knows what side they're supposed to be on, right?So what happens when a group of friends find themselves caught in a place where loyalties and morals don't line up? Where do you go? Who do you trust? What do you do? When sparks are lighting in your world, will the fire burn you, or harden you?





	1. Behind The Doors

**Author's Note:**

> \- I do not own Divergent  
> \- I do not own Attack on Titan  
> \- I have created a few of my own original characters  
> \- The story will follow a similar format as the original Divergent novel, with a few twists here and there  
> -The story is about the AOT characters in the Divergent world. 
> 
> Thank you so much for taking the time to read my work! I try to update when I can. Hope you enjoy!

            What was behind those doors that was so important? That’s what Eren wanted to know. What could possibly be back there that was special enough to tell you which faction you belonged in? What kind of test was it? In what way could it possibly define a person? What was strong enough to make people leave their families, and abandon the only life they knew?

 

            As a matter of fact, he would find out soon enough. Though, it wasn’t as comforting a thought to him as it was to most people, for some reason.

 

            Eren sat with the other Erudite, staring blankly down at a newspaper in front of him. Eren never bothered to actually read the papers. He never enjoyed what they had to say, especially now. Instead, he let his mind wonder as his eyes glazed over the black print. Now and then, he’d lift his head to see the other faces of the Erudite table, half covered by books and papers themselves. One of those faces was Armin. Armin was very good at being an Erudite. A natural. He didn’t have to pretend to read. He actually enjoyed it enough to do it. His nose was always inside a thick book about geology, history, culture, and so on. His eyes would grow wide with excitement, and he’d eventually loose track of time. However, even Armin couldn’t read the papers all the way through on a day like this. He’d try, but ultimately his mind would also drift to those fat doors at the end of the hallway.

 

            Eren let out a sigh, rest his head on his hand, and quietly drummed on the table with his knuckles. Armin, having grown used to this sort of behavior by now, looked up at his friend.

 

            “Are you nervous?” He asked.

 

            What kind of question was that? Eren wasn’t sure he really wanted to answer it, so he looked to Armin and asked- “Are you?”

 

            Armin took the liberty to set down his newspaper. Other Erudites quietly listened to their conversation, but didn’t bother to look up.

 

            “I don’t think so.” Armin admitted. “Just curious. If the test gives me my results, and they are fitting for me, then I have no reason to worry. I’m just tired of the waiting by now.”

 

            Of course he would say something like that. Even when Armin _was_ scared, he still tried to remain strong. Sometimes it seemed like he was the strongest out of all of them. And certainly the smartest.

 

            “Hm.” Eren wondered out loud, and looked up at the cafeteria clock. 5:26.

 

            “What about you?” Armin asked again. Eren’s eyes fell back to his paper, and he started folding the corners of it. Today he was a bit to tired to vent about how he didn’t like the idea of the test, because it felt like someone taking your freedom to choose what faction you wanted, and in response Armin would explain that Eren had nothing to worry about because you still got to pick whatever you wanted on Choosing Day. So instead, he just said-

 

            “I just want to get something I know I’ll belong in.”

 

            It was no secret that Eren wasn’t Erudite. He wasn’t stupid, but he never seemed to be able to act like an Erudite. He rarely got excited about books, or class, or tests, or anything like that. He seemed to be at his highest when he was running around with friends, or daydreaming, which he had a reputation for doing at school. Of course, Eren could leave Erudite if he wished, but that would mean leaving his family, and Armin. Did he really want that? Who knows what his new faction would have in store for him?

 

            “I think you’ll be fine wherever the test places you.” Armin said, trying to cheer him up. Eren was certain Armin wasn’t Candor. “I know it’s especially hard right now due to all the fighting that’s been going on, but I’m sure it will work out of you.”

 

            “Thanks, Armin.” Eren tried to sound grateful.

 

            “Especially today, of all days.” Armin continued. “After what the Erudite published…it’s hard to really envision yourself anywhere…”

 

            Now Eren’s interests had been peaked. He looked up at Armin, confused.

 

            “Hm? What did they publish?”

 

            Armin gave Eren a sort of baffled look. “Haven’t you read the paper?” He asked, knowing full well what the answer was. Immediately, Eren looked down at his own copy and…there it was. Front page and everything. How could he have missed it?

_Abnegation Leader and Council Member Jun-Su Chi Accused of Adultery. What Does This Say About the Selfless Faction?_

And right below that article…

_Candor’s Fight to Gain Government Control. How a Condor Government Could Harm the Other Factions._

They’re at it again. They’ll be at it tomorrow, and the day after that.

 

            “Why can’t Erudite just mind it’s own business?”

 

            “Eren-” Armin warned quietly.

 

            “We act like we’re better than everyone else! Why?”

 

            “Eren, calm down.”

 

            Eren looked around to see other Erudite twisting their lips in distaste and narrowing their judgmental eyes at him before looking away. So what? Eren was used to it by now.

 

            “Reiner Braun, and Trent Polster.” An Amity woman from across the room called out. Two boys from the Dauntless table stood up to leave for the test. As they went, a familiar face darted out from behind the testing area doors. A dark-haired girl with silver eyes and pale skin. Actually, she looked paler than usual. Mikasa Ackerman took her place among the other Abnegation students, and looked up to find Eren. He mouthed to her “ _What’s wrong?”_ but before he could even really finish, she quickly looked away, eyes heavy with something that looked like fear, or shame. That was very unlike her.

 

            “I wonder what she went through in there.” Armin quietly observed. About five minutes later, the Amity woman came back out.

 

            “Armin Arlert and Eren Yeager.” She smiled. Eren felt his stomach drop like he was falling, and he looked to Armin. The two boys stood up, and made their ways towards the double doors. The beautiful Amity woman gave them both a smile, and led them both behind the doors- those mysterious doors. Armin and Eren followed her down a hallway that ended with six other individual doors.

 

            “Armin, you will go into room number two. Eren- three. You’ll be tested once you’re in. Don’t worry, you’ll both be fine.”

 

            The woman smiled at them one more time before floating away.

 

            The two boys looked to each other, standing at each door stiffly. It seemed suddenly as if the last sixteen years of their lives had gone by too soon. What happened to staying out all day and playing in the summer, or lurking in Mr. Arlert’s office to see if they could find any more illegal books? Now they were going to be entering the rooms that would dictate the rest of their lives.

 

            “G-good luck.” Armin managed to get out. Eren nodded robotically.

 

            “You too…”

 

            Neither of them wanted to take a step towards their doors, until Eren finally looked away and forced himself to press his hand on his. Taking a moment to regroup, he left Armin outside and walked behind the door.


	2. Instinct

The room was cool and brightly lit. As the door behind Eren clicked shut, he looked up and stared at the girl before him. Standing by a computer on the other side of the room was an Amity girl. She wore a red, buttoned up blouse, a sunset yellow skirt, and matching red shoes. She had green eyes, soft red hair pulled up into a tight bun, a rather pointy chin and nose, as well as a bright smile that helped warm the tense room. However, none of these things were the most interesting about her. What really caught Eren off guard was the girl’s age. She looked like she was just as old as himself, but she couldn’t have been. Only people who’ve taken the aptitude test before may administer it. Therefore, she’d have to be older than sixteen, and the youngest Eren could imagine her being was a year or two older than himself. She was pretty young to be doing this.

“Hello.” The girl smiled as she typed something into the computer. “You must be Eren Yeager. My name is Tessa. Please, have a seat.”

Eren took the opportunity to look around the room. To his left, the entire wall was just a mirror. At the center of the room, there was a chair that reminded him of a more menacing version of the ones they’d have at the dentist, and Eren didn’t really like the dentist.

The Amity girl, Tessa, came over with some wires and stood next to the chair.

“Go on, have a seat.” She said kindly. “You need to be seated for the test, after all.”

Eren hesitantly made his way over to the chair, clenching his jaw. To be honest, having a person like Tessa here wasn’t as comforting to him as it might have been to others. Eren never really liked the Amity. It seemed to him that the majority of them were fakes who only pretended to be so happy and caring. Eren wasn’t the type of person to believe everything could be solved by words, but the Amity were different. They’d rather create the illusion that there was nothing to confront because they were to scared to fight. This made them particularly difficult to talk to for Eren. They were always to happy. To passive, and to friendly.

Eren finally took his seat, and Tessa started attaching wires to him. She carefully placed them on his temples, paying close attention to him the whole time.

“Just try to relax.” She said smoothly.

Relax? Hah! How could he, moments from learning what the rest of his life would look like?

“So Eren,” Tessa continued as she went over to the computer and picked up a tray with a little cup, “did you have a nice school year?” Eren watched her in the mirror as she made her way there and back.

“Uh…yea, I think so.” He answered, pulling on the sleeves of his blue sweatshirt.

“That’s good.” Tessa hummed, and casually held out the tray with the shot glass sized cup. She held it out like she was serving it to him for dinner. When he looked inside the cup, he could see it was filled with blue liquid.

“I remember my last year of school was fairly stressful.” Tessa said. “But, at least you are content with yours. Here, drink this. It’s tasteless, I promise. Once you do, the test will begin.”

“What will I see?” Eren asked a bit to excitedly. Tessa’s face fell a little bit, and she shook her head slightly.

“I’m afraid I’m not allowed to tell you. Otherwise, you could prepare for it ahead of time and your results would be untrustworthy. Don’t worry though. You’ll be fine.”

She pushed the cup closer to him, and he carefully took it, studying its contents. She watched him as he poured it down the back of his throat.

“Excellent.” She said as she took the empty cup back. “The test will begin in thirty seconds. Just relax, breath, and stay seated.”

“Thirty seconds?” Eren asked anxiously.

“Don’t worry.” Tessa cooed as she walked back to the computer and put some wires on her temples. “I’ll be watching you the whole time, and nothing bad can happen to you.”

The idea of being observed was not very comforting. Eren couldn’t help but start counting down the seconds in his head. He wasn’t completely sure that he was on the right number, but he just couldn’t stop himself, and his heartbeat sped up.

“Tell me about how your day went.” Tessa said, probably trying to help distract him.

Well, the Amity were known for being kind.

“Uh, I woke up late today.” Eren began. “I met my friends Armin and Mikasa outside of school again, like I always do.”

He decided not to mention the part where Mikasa wiped away breadcrumbs off his face from his morning toast.

“Then I went to physics. I got into another fight with this annoying Candor boy in my class, and the teacher had to stop us. Then Armin met me outside the room when the bell rang. He was excited to tell me about this…this, uh…I think it was…”

Eren’s eyelids started to feel pretty heavy now, and he lifted his hand to try to rub them.

“Mhm.” Tessa nodded. “And then what happened?”

Was she even listening at this point? Did it matter? Eren was pretty tired now.

“Uhhh…” Was all he could get out before he suddenly slipped away.

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The cafeteria was empty now. Outside, Eren could see it was getting dark as the snow fell. How long had he been there? What time was it now? The clock on the wall was to blurry to see from where he stood. Eren spun around to try to see if anyone was there with him, but he was alone. Was that it? Was the test over? When did it start snowing?

Just as Eren turned back around, he saw a table that hadn’t been there before. On this table sat two items only. One was a block of yellow cheese, while the other was a dagger.

Feeling curious, Eren stepped forwards. It was when he approached the table that a voice overhead boomed- “Choose.”

Eren knew that voice. It was his faction leader, Rod Reiss. He looked around to try and see Rod, but he was nowhere. How? He turned back to the table, mind racing.

Choose? For what reason? From Eren’s point of view, there was no logical or reasonable outcome from this. Was it for survival purposes? He’d have to choose the knife in that case. It could be a weapon as well as a tool. But what if he chose the cheese? What if the reason for picking one of these two items was one he hadn’t considered, and the knife couldn’t help him?

“Choose.” Rod’s voice rang out again, this time louder. Eren set his jaw, feeling a little aggravated. How was this fair? He didn’t even know what he was getting himself into. Finally he made his decision. If thinking like an Erudite wasn’t helping him, then he’d have to do what he always had done. Eren went with his gut feeling, and firmly picked up the dagger.

Rod’s voice didn’t come back. Instead, there was a heart-stopping growl that came from behind him. His adrenaline spiked, and the air around his arms and neck seemed to vibrate, making the hair on the stick up.

What was that?

Eren slowly turned around to see a big black dog snarling at him. Its mouth was filled with big white teeth that gleamed with the saliva that was dripping from its lips. The hair along its neck and spine stuck out in tufts as it began to creep forwards, and its eyes were solid black to match its fur. There had been very few moments in Eren’s life were he’d felt fear like this, and the weight of it was heavy enough to make him feel like he couldn’t move.

Damn it! I can’t just stand here!

No matter how he felt, the fact was that there was a threat that needed to be met. Eren raised his dagger up, and glared back at the dog. He didn’t really want to hurt it, but he most certainly would if he needed to.

The dog’s dark eyes shined in the cafeteria lights, and it growls got louder when it met Eren’s eyes. Eren couldn’t see or hear anything else but the animal before him. He started to back away, but it only kept trying to close the space between them. Finally, it let out a sharp bark, making Eren jump before it started charging.

Shit! It’s charging, it’s charging, it’s charging! Get your knife up!

Eren, feeling his blood burn beneath his skin and his heart pound against his ribs, let out a loud battle cry as the dog leapt at him. He let his instincts tell him where to hit. He plunged his blade into the dog’s chest, and it let out an ear-pinching yelp as it tumbled back onto the floor, curling up as its blood leaked out into the tiles. Cringing, Eren slowly came up to it and knelt down. The poor beast tried to snap at him as it attempted to crawl away, but it was losing energy fast. Instead, it eventually slumped back into the floor and went silent all together.

Eren’s heart was still racing as he quickly wiped his tears away. It wasn’t the first time he’d ever killed something, but this time still felt harder than the last. He wasn’t allowed to mourn for long, though. Another growl came from behind him again, and with it was the sound if a person.

“Doggy!” A small boy dressed in Erudite blue squealed and pointed at a second black dog prowling towards him. Where he hell had they even come from?

“Wait!” Eren suddenly cried out as he sloppily tried to pull himself off the floor. “Get away from it!”

The dog barked at the little boy, who fell backwards in surprise. Then, it started to run at him.

“No!” Eren screamed, and ran for the boy. He quickly threw himself in front of the kid, making a barrier out of himself. It was then that he realized he’d left his only weapon stuck inside the first dog, but it was to late. He had to stand his ground, or the dog would kill the boy.

“Go! Get out of here!” He ordered the kid, and the angry dog lunged at Eren.

Only, it never touched him. Eren, like the little boy, fell backwards out of shock when he noticed. The dog was completely gone. Vanished, along with the little boy and the dead dog from before. Now, Eren was catching his breath on the floor of a crowded bus that was rumbling and swaying slightly as it drove on. No one looked on at Eren as he stood and brushed himself off. Everyone was in their own little worlds and in their own little chairs. There was no seat left to take, so Eren decided to just grab the poll above his head for support.

“Do you know this man?” A voice from Eren’s left asked in a low, raspy tone. Eren looked over to see a pair of scarred up hands grasping a newspaper, and holding it up so he couldn’t see the owner’s face. One of the mangled fingers tapped on the picture of a man who took a spot on the front page under a headline that read- Mass Murderer on the Loose.

Eren was confused. He was sure he’d never spoken to the man in the picture before, but for some reason he felt like he recognized him. Maybe he saw him on the news?

“Well?” The voice behind the paper asked, sounding irritated. Eren took a step back and swallowed. Decision time. Even if he did know the guy in the paper, he couldn’t say it. There was something off about the guy in the chair next to him, and he by no means wanted anything to do with him.

“No.” Eren finally said, shaking his head. “I don’t know him. Why would I?”

To Eren’s surprise, the paper was slammed down on the ground with so much force it made a snapping sound in the air. In its place was a man’s face, half scratched up just like his hands. Cold, dark eyes stared menacingly back at the Erudite boy, who began hoping that the next bus stop was close now.

“You’re lying.” The man growled. “I can see it in your eyes.”

“What are you going on about?” Eren shot back. Not only was he nervous now, but also defensive and angry. “I told you, I don’t know the guy in the picture. Leave me alone, would you?”

“You could save me by knowing him.” The scar faced man said as he got closer to cringing Eren. “You could save me!”

Save him? By knowing a murderer? What did he want, for Eren to get the man in the news to kill someone for him? Was he really in danger some how? Would he put Eren in danger? Was he just lying?

“What do you mean save you?”

“You could, if you know him.”

“How?”

“You just could!”

That’s enough. Decision time again. Eren wasn’t going to risk himself for a stranger. If this had been Mikasa, Armin, or his parents, then it would be a different story.

Eren told himself that the reason he has having trouble steadying himself was because of the moving bus, and not due to the discomfort he felt. Feeling heat rise into his ears, and his stomach twist sickeningly, he took a step back and looked the man in the eyes.

“Look, I told you I don’t know him. You’ll have to find someone else to help you.”

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When Eren woke up, his chin was wet and his mouth was dry. Curious, he touched the damp spot to find it covered in drool before quickly wiping it clean from embarrassment. When he looked at Tessa, however, he saw that she either didn’t notice or didn’t care. Her eyes were locked onto the computer in front of her, and she didn’t look like a very happy Amity girl. Slowly, she reached for the wires on her head as Eren watched her, heart still pounding.

“That’s it?” He asked. “All I had to do was fight some dogs and a creepy guy?”

Tessa didn’t answer him. Instead, she rose stiffly from her chair and gathered some papers up in her arms.

“Please excuse me for a moment.” She said quietly, and quickly shuffled out of the room through a back door. Eren realized that she had forgotten to take the wires off of his own head, so he took the liberty to do it himself.

He couldn’t help but wonder why Tessa looked so pale. Was he supposed to keep the dog alive? Was he supposed to help the man on the bus? Had he done something wrong? There wasn’t supposed to be a way to fail the aptitude test...right?

He sat there for a long time, just staring into space and twiddling his thumbs before Tessa came back. She still seemed sulken when she quietly approached Eren, who’s mind had been racing in a nervous fit.

“Well?” He asked with a tight throat.

Tessa took the seat from the computer desk and brought it next to him. She sat like proper girls do, ankles crossed, back straight, and skirt smoothed over. She drew in a deep breath before saying- “Eren, please understand first and foremost that this is a serious matter...but you’re not in trouble.”

What the hell was that supposed to mean?

“W-what?” Eren stammered. “I don’t get it. What did I do wrong?”

“You didn’t do anything wrong.” She replied calmly. “It’s just that-”

“What’s going on? Do you know what my results are?”

Tessa fixed her posture again, like it helped her to feel more stable.

“Your results did come back. You acquire both Abnegation and Dauntless traits. Most people only get one faction result, but you seem to have two. This is...well, extremely rare, and not a very ideal result to have, Eren. A person like you is called divergent. It’s someone who gets two or more factions instead of one, like you’re supposed to…”

She took the time to study Eren’s baffled expression carefully. For a moment, his mouth couldn’t form words. His lips moved about, but nothing coherent came out, Finally, when something did, it was- “I...I don’t understand. Two faction? W-was something just wrong with the test? Is it possible it’s incorrect? Should I take it again?”

“Eren, please keep your voice down. I checked your results four times. You are divergent. When you had to choose between the knife and the cheese, you chose the former. This was a Dauntless act, along with defending yourself from the dog. An Amity boy would have picked up the cheese, and an Erudite boy wouldn’t have needed either to survive. When the little boy you saw came along, you could have let the dog attack him, but instead you tried to help him. Not only did you present the bravery of a Dauntless again, but the selflessness of an Abnegation, risking yourself for someone else. On the bus, a Candor would have been honest with the man, but you were not, ruling out Candor. An Abnegation would have offered to help, which you didn’t do, but I still can’t ignore what you did earlier for the little boy.”

Eren followed along closely with her words, but he still couldn’t make much sense of something.

“W-why is this bad?” He asked. “You’re talking about this like there’s something wrong with me…”

Tessa pressed her lips together and folded her hands tightly.

“It’s not bad.” She said slowly, quietly. “There isn’t anything wrong with you...but some people think there is.”

“Wha-”

“Eren, there are people out there...your faction leader, for example...who think being divergent is like a disease, or a crime. They see it as a threat to the system we live by. Please listen to me.” She leaned forward and grabbed Eren’s hand unexpectedly. “If the wrong person finds out you got two results, your life will be at risk. You can’t share this information with anyone. Infact, I wouldn’t even trust your family with this knowledge. They may love you, but this is safer being known only to you. And me. I will enter into the computer that your aptitude result was Dauntless. I think people are more likely to believe that. Erudite and Abnegation aren’t on good terms right now, and if someone goes looking for your test, you Dauntless traits will seem more prominent than your Abnegation ones. However, this doesn’t mean you have to choose Dauntless. I’m just doing what I think will help keep you hidden.”

Eren looked at the girl is disbelief. Was she joking? Would people really kill him for getting two results? Why wouldn’t that be seen as a good thing? Why couldn’t he tell his mom and dad? Why not Mikasa and Armin?

“How does being divergent threaten anyone?” Eren asked. “And more importantly, how am I supposed to trust you?”

Tessa let go of Eren’s hand, which was already trying to pull away from hers. She started gathering up the wires that were laying on the ground, just because she wasn’t sure she could look him in the eyes.

“Divergent people can alter simulations.” She explained. “Normal people can’t, and it’s seen as dangerous, because simulations can’t control you. As for your other question...well, I’ve known people like you before. Let’s just say it’s not easy. I’m afraid that’s all I can say.”

Tessa stood and put the bunched up wires away before turning back around to say- “Now that you know all this, you’re free to go. If you don’t want to see anyone right now, yo can leave through the back door and I’ll just tell people you got sick. Either way, you can’t tell anyone about this, okay? Eren?”

He was too stunned to respond.  
“Do you think you can go back out there?” She tried again. “Or do you need to leave?”

“...No.” He lied. “No, I’m good...I’ll uh, I’ll leave now...I guess.”

Eren slowly and painfully pushed himself out of the chair and made his way for the door, feeling like he was going to hurl.

“Eren,” Tessa called out again, “Remember, the faction you choose, that’s up to you. No one else.”

He left directly after that, and made his way back to the Erudite table, pale as the moon. Mikasa watched him intently, but he couldn’t bring himself to look at her. He just turned away and stared out the cafeteria windows.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for taking the time to read my work! This is my first time sharing one of my stories, so I hope you've enjoyed it so far! Feel free to comment and/or ask questions if you like!


	3. Confrontation

Armin and Eren had grown up together, living in the same neighborhood their whole lives. They knew every crack in the road, the spot where flowers would bloom first in spring, and the time it took to run back home from Mr. Edner’s house when he came out yelling at them to go away. The two boys were usually together, and as fate would have it, they even found each other when one of them would rather not be found. Eren was riding home in his father’s car when they spotted Armin walking all alone.

“Dad,” Eren suddenly said, “slow down.”

Dr. Yeager squinted his eyes and looked at the blonde boy’s hanging head in the distance. “Is that Armin?” He asked.

“Yes. Slow down, let’s give him a lift.”

Armin stopped as the car approached, and Eren’s head popped out through the window so fast that his glasses almost fell off. He hated his glasses. He didn’t even need them, and they only got in the way. 

“Hey, Armin!” He called out. “Hop in, we’ll take you home. It’s getting dark.”

Armin took one look at the car and shook his head timidly. “Oh, no, you don’t have to trouble yourself. Besides, I like walking.”

“Don’t be silly.” Eren urged. “Come on in.”

Hesitantly, Armin made his way for the car and took the back seat behind Eren. 

“Hello Armin.” Dr. Yeager said. “It’s good to see you again.”

“Oh, it’s good to see you too Dr. Yeager.” Armin replied, though his voice was a bit to shaky for it to sound meaningful. 

“Are you okay?” Eren asked. “I didn’t see you after the test. Where did you go?”

“I wasn’t feeling to well.” Armin explained. “They let me leave early in case I got sick.” 

“Did the test scare you that much?” Dr. Yeager asked jokingly. Armin waited an awkward moment before giving a forced laugh. “Yea, I guess so.”

 

Eren couldn’t shake the terrible yet hopeful feeling in his stomach after Armin said that. Sick? Leaving early? That sounded familiar. Armin...are you like me…?

“What about you?” Dr. Yeager asked his son. 

“Huh?”

“How did the test go?”

“...Fine.” Eren lied. “It was fine.”

“Well, that’s good.” His father said. “You were so quiet when I picked you up, I thought something was wrong. Hopefully your decision will be easy for both of you." 

If Eren didn’t know any better, he’d have laughed at that.

“I hope you feel better Armin.” Dr. Yeager continued. “If not, feel free to come to me. I am a doctor, after all.”

“Thank you sir.” Armin simply said. 

A few minutes later, Armin was dropped of at his house, and gave Eren a little wave before they parted ways. By the time they reached Eren’s home, he was still thinking about all Armin had said. What if he was like Eren? Would Armin really hide it from him? What if he was in danger? What if Eren was just over analyzing all this?

Dr. Yeager parked the car and took his son inside, where Mrs. Yeager was finishing up making dinner. 

“Hello mom.” Eren called out. “We’re home.”

The smell of steamed vegetables and cooking fish filled the large house, and Eren’s mother emerged from the kitchen smiling.

“Hello, welcome home. How was your day?” She asked and she hugged Eren and kissed his father.

“Long.” Was all Eren had to say as he marched to the kitchen to get a glass of water. While his parents quietly chatted, Eren set his glasses next to his mother’s on the countertop. His father was the only one who really needed them to see. Dauntless and Abnegation didn’t have to wear glasses. It was purely an Erudite trait that Eren saw as a way to try to seem smarter, superior, and flaunt for no reason. 

“What would life have been like if I hadn’t grown up in Erudite?” He quietly wondered. “What would things be like in Dauntless and Abnegation? Would I still be divergent? Is divergence something you inherit, or do you obtain it over time? Do I know anyone else like me?”

“Eren,” Mrs. Yeager called as she entered the kitchen and brought Eren away from his thoughts, “bring the vegetables to the kitchen. I’ll finish the rest up.”

“Alright.” He answered quietly, and brought the large bowl out to the long dining table where his father was putting his stuff down. Eren’s father was a doctor, one of the best around. Eren’s mother was a psychologist who had already published a book on some of her findings. She had transferred from, ironically for Eren, Dauntless. Eren suspected his father had just been born and raised in Erudite. 

Taking his seat before his father at the table, his mother brought out everything else.

“So, how was your day dear?” She asked Dr. Yeager. “Did you achieve anything special? Did you learn something new?”

“There was an Amity patient at the hospital today who cut up their leg pretty badly while farming.” Dr. Yeager answered. “She’ll be okay, but she’ll be staying in her room for a while.”

“Well, at least she had you around.” Mrs. Yeager said. “I got off work early today, but on the drive home I got thinking about a new collaboration opportunity with a coworker of mine.”

Eren started letting his mind drift off as he loaded his plate with food, though he wasn’t feeling particularly hungry after everything that had happened today.

“So, what did you learn today Eren?” His father unexpectedly asked. 

“Huh?”

“You doze off to much sometimes. I asked you what you learned today.”

Eren fought hard to push past all the events that had related to the aptitude test, and suddenly faction history popped up in his mind. 

“I learned that the Abnegation actually won their right to have control of the government. All the factions used to agree that it would be best for them to run it considering they would be more concerned for the people rather than themselves. They didn’t cheat or beg for it, contrary to what many people argue today despite their lack of proof.”

Contrary to what the Erudite liked to spew was what Eren wanted to say. Their newspapers showed what they believed, not the facts. In the early days of all this faction fighting, Candor would back Abnegation up, saying it was their job to speak the truth while the Erudite told lies. Then Candor decided they wanted control of the government as well, and Erudite started targeting them like they had the Abnegation. Now everyone was against each other. 

Dr. Yeager nodded his head as he followed his son’s words before simply responding with- “Good, Eren.”

This was what everyday was like. The three of them, like every other Erudite family, would sit down together at dinner and share what they had learned that day. Every meal was filled with long conversations what were full of questions, theories, and thoughts not yet considered until then. Everyday you were expected to say something new. It was an important ritual in Erudite households that was usually refreshing to take part it. In the past, Eren had always been fairly talkative, but today his tongue felt to heavy for speaking. 

“Did you learn anything else?” His father asked as Mrs. Yeager took her seat at the head of the table. “Perhaps something after school?”

“Now Grisha, he’s not supposed to talk about about his results with anybody.”

“We’re going to find out at the choosing ceremony anyway, it will do no harm to anyone. Besides, he may have questions he needs answered before his big decision.”

Eren felt a cold force sweep over him as his parents bickered over the subject. The truth was Eren wanted help, but he wasn’t quite sure where to get it. It wasn’t like he could just run out into the night and hunt down Tessa. What did his parents even know about divergence? He barely knew anything about it himself, and he was divergent. Maybe there was a mistake with his results. Maybe something could be fixed. 

“Eren?” He heard his father’s voice again. Eren looked up to see both of his parents looking at his worriedly.

“What?”

“Would you like to discuss the test?”

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to, Eren. We know it can be tough to figure it all out.” His mother said sympathetically. Boy, if only she knew…

“I’m okay mom.” Eren tired to more or less reassure her as he stabbed into his fish. After a pause, she said- “Eren, your ears are turning red.”

Damnit, why did they always have to do that? It always gave his away. Without really thinking about it, he touched his ear and rubbed it. His parents were still watching and waiting for a response.

“I guess...I guess I just don’t really get it.” He finally said. Maybe he didn’t have to tell them he was divergent, but he could still ask them other things. Granted he’d had this conversation with his family before, about the time when they all met Mikasa, but perhaps they had changed their minds. Perhaps it would let him know if it was safe to tell them the truth.

“Get what?” His mother asked.

“I’ve taken faction history,” Eren started, “so I should know, but I don’t why do we have to choose factions? Why would it be so bad if we didn’t?” 

“Eren, don’t you remember how the factions were created? People fought gruesome wars before we divided ourselves. Now, there is peace.”

“The Erudite papers say otherwise.” Eren argued. “We keep writing about how it’s so bad that the Abnegation have the government. We write about what would happen if Candor and Erudite fought against each other. Are the factions working now? Why are we still fighting if division is supposed to make things better? Can’t the five factions just join ideals so that everyone lives together?”

“It’s not a perfect system, but it’s better than breaking into chaos like the factionless.”

That was always his mother’s go to answer.

“But we’re already broken apart. I’m talking about bringing us together,”

“I see what you’re saying, Eren.” His father cut in with eyes steady on his son. “However, that’s just not how the world we live in works. Maybe somewhere else things are different, but here we’ve had peace for many years, and I doubt things will completely fall apart because of some fights here and there.” 

Eren went quiet for a moment while he pushed food around on his plate before he said- “I’ve seen so many people get upset when the factions isolate themselves. I’ve never seen people get hurt when the factions join together to do something on good terms.”

“That’s enough, Eren.” His mother interjected. “We’ve lived calm and safe lives like this for many years. This is the faction that raised you and you’re going out of your way to criticize it, mind you.”

“We may not be Candor, but that shouldn’t stop the boy from speaking his mind.” Dr. Yeager calmly countered. “Eren, if you feel you’re unhappy with the conditions in which we live, the don’t let me or anyone else tell you not to try to fix the. Go where you feel satisfied with yourself.”

“He can’t stay a boy forever.” Eren’s mother complained. “As much as I don’t want to see him grow up, he has to, and he has to grow out of these nonsense dreams.”

“I’m just encouraging him to make these dreams reality, Carla. It’s what we all should strive to do.”

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Eren finished dinner early just so he could get away from the table. He expected he’d want to spend as much time as possible with his family before he chose his faction, but he started feeling so sick to his stomach during the dinner conversation that he could hardly bare it anymore. He sat alone in his room with a book before him on faction history and manifestos. He never took the time to really read unless it was with Armin while they huddled Mr. Arlert’s book about the outside world, but now he was desperate. 

Eren couldn’t go to Amity. He was to hot-headed for them, and didn’t even agree with all their values. He also couldn’t choose Candor. When he was young he liked them until he met an extremely annoying one. No only that, but the aptitude test had ruled that one out for him anyway. He also decided that he couldn’t go to Abnegation, no matter what the test said. He had nothing against helping people, but he didn’t really agree with their way of life. No one could never think of themselves. 

So that left him with Erudite and Dauntless. One faction was one he greatly admired, and the other was where his family was. If he left, what would he have? How would the people he loved feel about him leaving? Would he be able to bare leaving them? Would he like Dauntless? Was he capable of withstanding Erudite for the rest of his life? Armin would definitely choose Erudite. Even if he was like Eren, he belonged here. Mikasa was a quiet girl, but Eren wouldn’t be surprised if she left Abnegation. What if she chose Erudite too? What if he left home only to be left all alone? What about his parents. He couldn’t abandon them. They’d raised him and cared for him. He loved them, his family and his friends...but still. A life in Erudite? 

There was a gentle knock on the door, and Mrs. Yeager’s voice drifted through.

“Eren? Could you please open the door?” 

Quickly, Eren shoveled his book into his dresser and shut it. “Yes.” He answered her, and went for the door.

Mrs. Yeager, who very clearly had something heavy on her mind, came in to take a seat on Eren’s bed, and patted the spot next to her. He obeyed, watching her curiously as he took a seat. She combed some of his thick, dark hair out of his face and then touched his chin.

“You’re the most important thing in my life. You know that, right?” 

Eren turned away from her hand, but didn’t speak. 

“Still remember when you little.” She went on. “You cried about everything you know.”

“Mom.”

“It’s true. Shy as you were, you always had something to say, and you had to say it or you’d blow up. Sometimes you’d blow up even if you did get to speak, because you’d just get so mad. You used to come home with all sorts of cuts and bruises from bullies you’d butt heads with. That’s not necessarily the worst trait for an Erudite to have, but Erudite was never what you wanted to be. I could tell, even then.” She sighed, lie the next few word were going to be hard to get out. 

“I love you no matter what you do, or where you choose to go. You’ll always be my little boy. I know you can’t stay here forever, and I wouldn’t be a good mother if I made you for my sake. Everything I say and do...it’s only because I’m worried about you.”

“Why?” Eren asked like he was offended. “Is it because I can’t be a good enough Erudite? Is it because I get in trouble? So what?” 

“See, there it is again.” Mrs. Yeager said calmly. “I’m scared because I’m your mother, Eren. You are my only child. It hurts to feel like I’m losing you, but that doesn't mean I’m not here for you. I won't be disappointed in you for doing what’s best for yourself. I left my old faction. I had to leave what I knew to come here and start over. Have my dream job. Marry your father. Have you. I chose erudite because it’s where I belong, and it’s okay if it’s not for you.”

Eren thought about this for a moment, trying to keep tears from breaching. His mother pulled his head onto her shoulder and started to pet his hair.

“Mom, I didn’t get Erudite as my result.” Eren carefully admitted. Maybe he could be honest with her. It’s best to get the obvious out of the way first. 

“That’s okay.” She said tightly, probably holding back tears as well. 

“I didn’t get Candor either.” Eren decided to say. It seemed like she had thought that was where he was headed based on all she said. 

“...That’s okay.” She said again.

Now here it comes. You’ll have to tell her now. There’s no way she could hate you for getting two results. She’s your mother. How could she?

But Eren still remembered the conversation from dinner. Was that really how she felt, or was her worry for her son taking over? Or both? What about What Tessa said? It’s best to keep this hidden. Even if he could trust his mother, what if this got out?

“...Do you want to tell me?” She asked. Eren drew in a breath. 

“...Dauntless.” Was all he decided to say. His mother didn’t say anything to that. She was Dauntless born, but she didn’t like the idea of sending her son there. It was dangerous for the wrong sort of person, and hopefully that wasn’t Eren. Finally, Mrs. Yeager pulled Eren closer into a hug and kissed the top of his head. 

“Is Dauntless what you want?” She asked, her voice muffled against his head, and he felt the warmth of her breath reach his face. 

He couldn’t stay here. He couldn’t be in Amity or Candor. He was sure he couldn’t survive Abnegation. It took all the strength in his to make his decision. The only decision left.

“Yes.”

Suddenly, Mrs. Yeager pulled away and started brushing Eren’s hair away from the side of his face, where she then tugged on his ear.

“Ouch!” Eren cried out as he went to touch it. “What was that for?”

“Sorry.” She explained. “I had to make sure they weren’t red.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for taking the time to read my work! It really means a lot to me! There past few chapters have really been about getting more or less familiar with Eren's life and all, but the next chapter is when some of the crazy stuff begins. I hope you like my original character, and who knows, you might get to run into some others pretty soon. What will our fantastic Attack on Titan characters do next time?  
> Maybe you'll stick around to find out...?


	4. Divided Meetings

Mr. Arlert had agreed to take both Eren and Armin out with him into the city. There was only one place in all the five factions that people could roam around all together, and it was in the same part of the city as school. Mr. Arlert worked downtown, in the Factions Relations Terminal, where people from multiple factions came to keep good ties in check. He had forgotten some paperwork, and had to retrieve it that day while giving the two boys money to buy themselves something from the closest convenience store on the block. 

“Have you made your decision yet?” Armin asked Eren as they sat outside on the curb of the store, popping flavored candies into their mouths.

“We’re not supposed to talk about the test.” Eren reminded his friend. 

“Who cares?” Armin said, almost to himself, as he slowly unwrapped a green candy. Eren was shocked by this. Armin usually never broke rules. In fact, the only time he ever had was when he found Mr. Arlert’s book, but that was it. Now he wanted to break another giant rule? Typical for Eren, maybe, but Armin?

“I’ve already made my decision.” Armin went on, looking out into the crowd of people. As he did this, he spotted a familiar face that made his eyes widen. Coming out of the store was an Abnegation girl with long, dark hair all tied up in a tight bun. Her arms were full of two bags of produce and bread. 

“Mikasa?” Armin asked out loud. The girl turned to face them, surprised, and then began to approach them. 

“Hello Armin. Hello Eren.” She said, bowing her head to them in typical Abnegation fashion. She was most likely getting food for the orphanage where she lived. About seven years ago, Mikasa’s family was murdered by three factionless men who intended to sell Mikasa for money. It was Eren who saved Mikasa from the men, earning him a terrible reputation in school was well as in the papers. A reckless Erudite. How unthinkable. But who cared? Not Eren. He was more concerned about Mikasa. She had killed a man to save Eren and also out of self defense. Many Abnegation were happy she and Eren were alive, but they felt conflicted about the murders. Those who supported the kids were shushed by the Erudite, who criticized the Abnegation and even asked them how they could continue to help and waste resources on the factionless when three of them had murdered two of their own and kidnapped the third. A child, much less. 

Mikasa was sent to live in an Abnegation orphanage, but no one had adopted her. She acted like it didn’t bother her, and maybe she wasn’t lying. She often stated that Eren was her family now. 

“What are you two doing here?” The raven haired girl asked. 

“My dad has some business to take care of,” Armin said, “so Eren and I decided to get something to eat. Want one?” 

Armin held out a yellow candy for the girl to take, even though he knew what her answer would most likely be. 

“No, thank you.” Mikasa shook her head. “I don’t need it.” 

Eren had never seen Mikasa eat candy. Actually, he had probably never seen it because it had likely never happened. It must be seen as self-indulgent to eat candy in Abnegation. 

"Would you like us to drive you back to the Abnegation sector?” Armin asked, once again knowing the answer. “Those bags look heavy.”

“I’m fine.” Mikasa said, hugging the bags. “They aren’t heavy.”

“At least sit with us.” Eren pleaded. 

“The people back at the orphanage will be waiting for me.” She tried. 

“My dad will be back any minute now anyway. We won’t stay here much longer.” Armin scooted over to make room for her, and not wanting to deny her wants anymore, she set her bags down and sat between her two friends. She smoothed her long, gray robes out and thoughtfully stared at the people walking by as they chatted. After a few minutes of talking, exchanging candy, and getting weird looks from people passing by, Mikasa said to Eren- “You won’t be staying in Erudite.”

Eren nearly choked on his grape flavored candy. “What?” 

“You didn’t get Erudite on your test, did you?”

“How would you know?!”

“You don’t hide it very well, Eren. You’ve never fit in with the Erudite.”

“And what are you, Candor? Where are you going to live, anyway?”

Mikasa looked down at the ground and hugged her knees. “Where are you going?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Eren asked tiredly. “You’re not going to follow me, are you?”

“...Where am I supposed to go? You’re my family.” 

“Go where the test told you you’d fit in. Go where you want to go.”

“I want to stay with you.”

“Eren’s right, Mikasa.” Armin said. “You should choose the faction that best suits you, not necessarily the one Eren chooses.”

Mikasa just lowered her chin onto her knees and stared ahead at the shifting crowd of people. Eren sighed and popped a green candy into his mouth. 

“I guess you’re not going to Abnegation, then?” He asked. Mikasa didn’t answer. 

“And what about you, Armin?” Eren said as he turned to his friend. 

“Huh?”

“You said you knew where you wanted to go.”

Armin looked at the bag of colorful candies in his hands and stirred it around. “I did.” He said blankly. “But Eren, I can’t imagine that I’ll really be happy anywhere I choose to go.”

“What do you mean?” Eren leaned forward. Armin pushed his glasses up and stared at the ground. 

“They say the factions were created to keep peace, but right now, it seems like the opposite is happening.”

“Yea...I had a conversation like that last night with my parents.”

“I just mean-” Armin continued, “-that it seems pretty ignorant to assume the factions will give us peace forever. Every country that we learn about in school eventually fell, no matter how strong. Who says we won’t end up with the same fate?”

Eren didn’t disagree with Armin, but he also didn’t know what to say to him. He just sat there in thought until Mikasa’s arms suddenly slammed into both of the boy’s chests. She was a hell of a lot stronger than she looked, and the two Erudites lost all the breath from their lungs.

 

“We need to go.” She commanded.

“What?” Eren asked as he winced at the pain in his chest. “What’s gotten into you? You didn’t have to hit me.”

But Eren’s confusion was answered without Mikasa. The was a huge gust of wind, and a sharp burst somewhere in the distance large enough to rumble the earth. Mikasa threw herself over her friends as bits of glass and ash rolled over them, making Eren’s nose, throat, and eyes burn. The wind whistled past their ears, tostled their hair, and dug at their clothes. The whole thing only lasted a few seconds, but Eren felt like he’s been holding his breath for ages. 

When the rumbling and wind stopped, it was replaced by screams from all around. The three friends looked around, blinking away the dust from their eyes before they finally saw it. A building across the street had it’s top half blown off, like a missing puzzle piece that was nothing more than ruin now. The Faction Relations Terminal. 

Where was Mr. Arlert?

People from all different factions were running around, cursing and crying at the sight while Eren, Armin, and Mikasa looked on in horror. It was an absolute miracle that none of them were hurt by the flying glass and concrete.

“We have to leave!” Mikasa shouted as she grabbed her friend’s wrists. Forget the groceries, the candy, and stupid choosing day. They had to move. 

“My dad!” Armin cried. “He was in there!”

“We need to find him!” Eren yelled as he twisted away from Mikasa and ran into the chaos. 

“Eren!” Mikasa screamed, but she couldn’t stop him. Eren’s heart was pounding in his ears as his eyes scanned over the fallen pieces of the building and the faces that were starting to crowd around it.. He wasn’t quite sure what he was doing, all he knew was that Mr. Arlert had been in that building and he needed to find him. 

“Ah!” Eren heard a sharp cry of pain come from his left, and he wiped around to see who it was.

“Hey!” The voice called. “Hey! Somebody get this thing off of me! Ah! Help!”

In the distance, there was an Erudite boy, probably about Eren’s age, whose foot was caught under a slab of concrete. But there were people all over who were stuck, hurt, or possibly even dead. None of which looked like Mr. Arlert, and that’s who he needed to find. Eren was about to keep moving, until someone ran by him so fast he was almost knocked off his feet. 

“Sang-ho!” A girl cried out. A streak of brown and purple-tipped hair rushed by Eren’s face. She was dressed in all black, and was followed closely by another Erudite boy with messy brown hair and thick framed glasses. They both knelt down next to the boy on the ground, trying to lift the concrete off of him, but it never lifted more than an inch. 

“Fuck.” The Dauntless girl spat. “Where the hell are the authorities around here?”

“Just help me get it off.” The boy next to her said. “Is there anything we can use to prop it up?”

The girl looked around, and frowned.

“No. Nothing’s the right size.”

“Nothing like a lever?”

“No Ben. Shit, he’ll lose the leg soon if we can’t figure this out!”

Eren had been stopped for to long now. He could hear Mikasa and Armin’s voices getting closer, calling him back. But the girl was right. Without a way to get the concrete off the kid’s foot, he’d likely lose it if it wasn’t already crushed beyond repair. At this point her had to make a decision, and once he did, he couldn’t stop his feet from moving. 

“Hey!” He called out. The three people on the ground looked to Eren, pale and flustered. “Help me with this thing.” He ordered, grabbing a side of the concrete slab. 

“Eren!” Armin called, finally catching up with Mikasa beside him. “Eren! You...oh god.”

“Mikasa! Armin!” Eren cried, feeling a bit of relief. “Grab on!”

Mikasa rushed over to Eren’s side, her steel silver eyes large from adrenaline. Armin stood back, hands shaking. “I...I…”

“Armin, help us.” Mikasa calmly directed. The blonde boy shook his head to snap out of his thoughts, and ran over to the Dauntless girl’s side. The five of them all lifted, and after a moment, the Erudite boy underneath was able to quickly scurry out from under the slab. Eren grunted was they dropped the big hunk of rock, and rubbed his strained fingers. The Dauntless girl quickly crawled to her friends and rested his head on her lap.

“Is it broken?” She asked, parting the boy’s dark hair from his sleek, brown eyes. The other Erudite boy, Ben, reached down and handed him his glasses, which must have fallen off when he got pinned down.

“Almost definitely.” The boy breathed impatiently as he stared down at his leg.

“We need to get you out of here.” Ben says, whipping his forehead clean of sweat. “There’s to much chaos going on, and we need to think about how we’re going to get you to the hospital.” 

“Help me carry him.” The Dauntless girl said, standing up and grabbing the boy’s hand. Mikasa came forward first and grabbed the boy’s other hand, helping to lift him up onto his good foot. The boy, Sang-ho, winced as he leaned on them. 

“This way.” Ben said, waving them through a small clearing in the rubble and running people. Sang-ho looked to his Dauntless friend, and lifted his hand to wipe some red away from her torn shoulder. She didn’t even flinch, and ignored his concerned face. 

“Nova, you’re bleeding.” Sang-ho observed out loud. The girl, Nova, just snorted and shook her head.

“Oh shut up. I’m not the one with the broken foot.” Though her stance was strong, her voice wavered slightly. After all, Sang-ho could have died in the blow if the rock had hit him somewhere else instead of his leg. She decided not to mention this out loud, and instead focused the conversation back on Sang-ho.

“Do you feel anything else? Bruises? Broken bones? A concussion? Internal bleeding?”

“No, I don’t think so. It’s just my foot. Damnit. Of course this would happen. Whatever, I’m fine.”

“You always say that. It gets hard to tell when you mean it.”

“ARMIN!” A familiar voice called out in the distance. Eren, Armin, and Mikasa quickly turned to see none other than Mr. Arlert himself running towards them. “What’s going on?” He asked quickly as his whole body screamed fear. “Are you kids alright?”

“We’re fine.” Armin answered. “Well...except him.” He pointed to Sang-ho, who looked at Mr. Arlert in confusion. Who was this guy? Armin’s family? They certainly had the same eyes. 

Mr. Arlert’s gaze quickly drifted to the three unfamiliar faces before him, each one filled with desperation and pain.

“I see.” The man said. “Do you need a ride to the hospital?”

 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

There was only enough room in the car for five people. Nova and Ben stayed behind, though not very eagerly. Mikasa watched them closely as everyone else drove away in Mr. Arlert’s car. 

It was Dr. Yeager himself who took Sang-ho into his care. They all watched as Sang-ho thanked them before being wheeled behind the hospital doors just as the floodgates opened and the rooms started to fill with more hurt or dying patients from the explosion. Once they were all sure they didn’t have any major injuries, Mr. Arlert dropped Mikasa off at the Abnegation sector.

“Where were you when the building blew up?” Eren asked.

“I was actually outside.” Mr. Arlert answered. “I realized I forgot something in the car. It’s a good thing I did. At least I don’t work in those upper levels. The top of the building is what went down, and that’s where all the faction leaders and council members have their meetings and offices. I work on the lower levels. When I saw all those people running out of the building, like Mikasa said she saw at first, I knew something was wrong. I thought it was a fire or something like that…”

“Why…?” Was all Armin could get out. “Why would anyone attack the terminal? It’s where all the faction ambassadors meet. That kind of action hurts everyone, not just one faction. What’s there to gain?”

“I don’t know.” Mr. Arlert sadly admits. “Maybe someone thought the risk was justified for something bigger.”

Armin looked out the car window, and wilted in his seat as he frowned at the big blue sky.

“Are you okay, Armin?” Eren asked, leaning towards his friend. The blonde boy hesitated before answering.

“I just...need to do some more thinking tonight.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for taking the time to read my work! It means a lot, and hopefully you like it. The next chapter is about the choosing ceemony, yay!  
> So, Who's your favorite Divergent character? Mine is definitely Tris. I just think she's so awesome!


	5. Blood in the Cut

The choosing ceremony had been postponed an extra day after the explosion. 

Fingers were pointing everywhere except for Amity. The Erudite were trying to make things look bad for Abnegation by blaming it on them. The Abnegation were quietly nudging and looking to either Erudite or Dauntless. The Dauntless were blaming Candor, and the Candor thought it could have been literally anyone else except themselves. And yet, no one had any proof about who actually did it. 

Now Eren walked into the lobby of the Hub with his parents. On the elevator ride up to the ceremony, he kept thinking about what his father had said to him before they all stepped out of the house.

“Eren, when I need to be reminded of my goal, I look at this.” He’d lifted his necklace out from under his dress shirt to show Eren the string that threaded through a long combination lock. Eren had seen the lock before, but whenever he asked his father about what it was, he always directed the conversation away from it. Now, he was openly waving in front of Eren’s face. “With the right combination, it shows me what I’m fighting for.”

“What are you fighting for?” Eren asked. 

“You’ll find out someday soon.” Dr. Yeager answered, tucking the necklace back into it’s hiding place. “I’ll show you myself. But for now, I want you to think about this, especially today. What’s your goal, Eren? What will help you reach it?”

The elevator doors opened and Eren shook his head to snap back into the present. He and his Erudite family all quietly shuffled out. Sitting among other members of their faction was Armin, pale as ever. Eren excused himself to go run over to his friend. 

“Hey, you alright?” He asked when he got to him. Armin looked up, startled, then frowned.

“...I don’t know.” He admitted. “I guess I’ll see later if I really am…”

 

This year, it was Erudite’s turn to host the ceremony. Up on stage, before five bowls and a knife, was Rod Reiss. “Good evening.” He said, folding his hands before him as everyone scrambled to sit down. “Today, we will be celebrating the coming of age moment of our next generation of youth. To these people, I ask you to remember our words. Faction before blood. Choose the faction that best suits you. That is where you will truly thrive, and that is where your real loyalties will lie. I wish all of you the best of luck in your new lives.”

Eren damned his last name. Yeager. Why did it have to start with a Y. There were only three people who went before Eren. An Amity girl, and Candor boy, and an Abnegation boy. All of which chose their home factions. 

The he was called.

“Eren Yeager.” Rod announced. Eren could have thrown up as he gave his parents one last hug. His mom was holding back tears, making Eren’s stomach twist painfully. Those tears were certainly his fault. As much as he wanted to say to her that it was okay, and he wasn’t going to leave her, he knew he’d only be lying. He couldn’t lie to her, especially today. Besides, what had his dad said to him? What was his goal?

Walking up to the stage, the thought was bouncing around mercilessly in his head. What did his dad mean when he asked that? Was he hinting to choose the faction that helped him reach his goals? Eren wasn’t even sure he’d ever had a goal before. He’d always been so focused on his friends, and just getting through school. Now those days were coming to an end, and being replaced by far less kind ones. 

Three days ago, he’d been told by a stranger that he’d be in danger if anyone found out about his test results. Two days ago, Eren witnessed the Factions Relations Terminal be attacked, and the culprits were nowhere to be found. Now, he was hearing whispers from people in his own faction mock his infamous name. 

“Isn’t that the Erudite boy who killed those two factionless guys for that Abnegation girl?”

“Yea, and she killed the third one himself.”

“Jeez, what a screw up. He’s far too reckless to call himself an Erudite.”

“I hear he hangs out with that stiff girl now. Doesn’t he know how corrupt they are?”

 

Eren bit his tongue to keep from lashing out and yelling how he was being shunned for saving a life, and Mikasa was being mocked for protecting them both. So, what was Eren’s goal?

Maybe he was tired of seeing injustice in the world. 

Perhaps he was tired of feeling divided and disowned. 

Maybe he was tired of feeling trapped in the very “free” world he’d been born into. 

Maybe he just wanted to feel free, and maybe everyone deserves to feel that way. 

 

Eren looked to Rod as he handed him the freshly cleaned knife. It was smaller than the one he picked up during his test, but it still reminded him of that memory, when Tessa told him there was something about him that made him different from everyone else in the five factions. 

He didn’t feel the cut as badly as he’d always imagined he would. His vision blurred slightly as he watched the crimson red pool in his palm, but he quickly blinked away the thin, pain inflicted tears and made a fist with his bleeding hand, passing the knife back to Rod. Eren could be the first kid in this year’s choosing ceremony to turn the Erudite water a shade darker, or he could be the first transfer. 

His cut started to sting a little more as he walked over to the bowls. He might have cut a bit to deeply, but who cared? 

In his mind he could see his family’s faces as he lifted his hand over the burning coals, and squeezed his blood out onto them. They sizzled when the red liquid hit them.

“Dauntless.” Rod announced. All throughout the Erudite section, there were vicious murmurs and people showing how much they disapproved, just as the always had of Eren. What was louder, though, was the cheering and hollaring of the Dauntless. 

They jumped around, clapped, and slapped Eren on the back as he stumbled over to them. Dauntless. He was the first transfer. He was their transfer. 

After Eren went a Candor girl who chose Amity. Then a Dauntless who chose Candor. The ceremony went on for a while until the next Dauntless transfer came up. Good thing too. Eren was beginning to worry he’d be the only one. It took a long time til it was finally Armin’s turn.

Eren had been dozing in and out of the decisions being made on stage. Instead, he was swaying back and forth between pride and excitement about choosing Dauntless, and dear and dread for making his parents cry. But, when Armin went up, Eren stood up straight and kept a close eye on his friend as he walked to the stage and tripped up the steps. 

He was hesitant to cut his hand, and when he did, he was hesitant to choose. 

“Are you alright?” Rod asked Armin. Eren couldn’t help but wonder the same thing. Why was Armin just standing there. Everyone who knew him knew where he belonged. Didn’t he?

“It’s time to make your choice.” Rod said.

For some reason, and Eren will never forget how confused and terrified he was, Armin looked down at his bleeding hand, and started to quietly laugh. He laughed as he walked over to the bowls, and he laughed as he stuck his hand over the hot coals.

“Dauntless.”

The Dauntless threw up their arms and cheered for yet another one of their transfers. Amrin looked for Eren as he walked to the back of the crowd, and Eren stuttered when he was close enough to see the whites of his eyes.

“A-Armin!” He said. “Why? Y-you’re the most Erudite person I’ve ever met!”

“I decided I couldn’t spend the rest of my life just reading about the world, and seeing it in shambles. I want to help it.”

“Mikasa Ackerman.” 

The two boys whirled around to see the ravenette beauty walk with a confidence to Abnegation was really supposed to have. Her eyes were steady on Rod as she came on stage, and she barely even winced as she drew the blade across her palm. With very sure and determined eyes, she walked towards the bowls. 

“Oh no.” Eren accidentally said out loud. 

Eren and Armin watched their friends, the last kid left to choose funny enough, readily lift her hand over the flaming bowl.

“Dauntless.”

“Another stiff!” Some Dauntless born kid shouted. “We got another stiff here! History has been made today man!”

“Oh shut up Zane.” 

Mikasa made her way up the steps, taking in the high-fives and pats on the back like the rest of the transfers had. Eren just stared at her with astonished eyes. 

“What? What are you doing?” He asked her when she reached him. “I told you not to follow me! You should go to the faction that suits you!” Eren was completely beside himself with surprise and irritation. 

“I didn’t want to leave you.” Mikasa said simply. “But that’s not the only reason I came here. You’re not the only one who got Dauntless on your test.”  
Eren’s jaw moved up and down, but not words seemed to want to follow hers. He looked to Armin, who only looked away. Did Armin and Mikasa both really get Dauntless? Would he get to keep his friends?

“Besides.” Mikasa continued. “You need me.” 

Eren jumped back and blinked at her, exasperated. “Need you? I don’t need you to babysit me!”

“You’ll probably get into trouble and beaten up if I’m not there.” Mikasa had more than once beaten up the occasional bully for Eren and Armin. It was like fighting was her expertise. Not suitable for an Abnegation girl. 

“That concludes this year’s choosing ceremony.” Rod Reiss announces suddenly. “I hope you all are satisfied with your decisions. After all, the rest of your life depends on them. Now, the Dauntless will be dismissed first. You all have a train to catch.”

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Eren, Armin, and Mikasa were swept away into the mess of thundering feet and cheering voices. The stairwell came alive beneath them, vibrating enough to make Armin wonder if the whole thing would just crumple. 

“Train?” Eren thought. “Oh shit.” He had completely forgotten. 

The sunlight hit them hard when they emerged from the building. The Dauntless scattered around and played around, throwing each other over their shoulders and shouting. Eren looked around to see why everyone had stopped running. They were on a train platform. 

That meant-

There was the telltale whistle in the distance, and all the Dauntless cried out excitedly. 

“We’re going to have to jump on that thing.” Armin said, a hint of worry in his voice. 

“Yea...but I’m sure we can do it.” Eren reassured as he watched the tracks. “The Dauntless do it all the time.” 

“Because they’re Dauntless, Eren.”

“Well, so are we.”

There was an eerie cry from the wheels on the train as the breaks slowed it down to typical running pace. The transfers took after the Dauntless, and started running next to the train, chasing the open compartments. Eren and Mikasa followed a particularly fast Dauntless born up to one of the open doors. Mikasa, despite the fact that most Abnegations aren’t really runners, zipped in front of Eren and climbed in fairly gracefully after watching the other kids do it. Then, she turned and offered her hand out to Eren, who only neglected it. His lungs burned a little, but there was adrenaline was pulsing through his skull, and he reached for the handle on the compartment door, pulling himself in. 

He crawled to the corner of the train, catching his breath. Mikasa quietly came over to check on him, until a shriveled sound came from outside. 

“Hey!” Someone cried. Feeling their stomachs drop in horror, Eren and Mikasa dove for the train door and stuck their heads out. On the platform, Armin was still running after them, arms pumping and breaths heavy. 

“Armin!” Eren called. “Grab on!”

He flung his arm out, beckoning his friend towards him. Mikasa looked over her shoulder, and suddenly all the blood drained from her face. 

“Armin!” She screamed, calling his attention to the end of the platform. It was too close for comfort. It was now or never. He had to climb on or be left behind. Fighting every burning nerve in his body, Armin charged for Eren and stuck his hand out. Their fingers brushed over each other, and Eren desperately grabbed at what he could of Armin’s hand. Clutching his fingers, he pulled Armin to the train, and Armin lept in as the platform dropped off. 

Eren placed a hand on Armin’s back as he drew in breath after burning breath. “You’re going to have to get better at that if you want to survive here.”

“I know.” Armin said, panting. 

Mikasa took a moment to look around at the rest of the faces on the train. Two Dauntless born and an Amity boy. They were an odd group. 

“You should probably sit down, Mikasa.” Armin said. 

“Why?” She asked, turning towards him. “I’m fine.”

“No, it’s because-”

The train picked up speed, and wind started pounding against the doors. Mikasa stumbled to the side, while the Amity boy completely fell over onto the floor, earning tear filled laughter from the two Dauntless. 

“That’s why.” Armin said, and Eren chuckled.


	6. The Jump

Armin had been sitting by the train door, letting himself get lost in the sights of the quiet, monochrome looking Abnegation sector as the Dauntless rolled on by. He let his mind wonder for what felt like hours. The small grey houses were replaced with swampy fields eventually, and any city dweller might have thought they had hopped onto the wrong train, taking them to the middle of nowhere. 

When the wild scenery was disrupted, it was by a few scattered buildings here and there. None of which looked particularly interesting compared to the large, glassy architecture in Erudite. There was really only one boxy and plain building that got his attention because it was much closer to the train tracks than any of the other surrounding structures. It was a good thing he took notice of it. Armin felt his stomach turn to ice when he witnessed a person, dressed in all black, leap over the gap between the tracks and the building's roof. At first, Armin thought he had just seen something horrifying and destructive, but then more people followed. 

So this was their next test? As if this stunt wasn't alarming enough, the tracks started to drift further and further away from the roof after a while. The more you hesitated, the smaller your chances of surviving were. They had to move. 

"Eren, Mikasa!" Armin called over, hastily pushing himself off the floor. His two friends quickly came forward, catching the attention of the two Dauntless in the train. While he three transfers stared out at the roof, one of the Dauntless came up and squeezed his way past them. He was only a few inches shorter than Eren and Mikasa, with wind-swept red hair and pale skin ornamented with chestnut colored freckles. This boy, not seeming to have much care, leaned out the train door so far that Eren's gut lurched. 

"What does it look like Zane?" The other Dauntless boy in the back asks his friend. He was a handsome guy, with a rather deep voice. He was also fairly tall, with a more muscular build, dark skin, chiseled face, but feminine looking eyes. His clean and closely cut beard added to his fine features. It was no wonder all sorts of girls had been staring and whispering during his turn at the choosing ceremony. 

"Ah!" Zane exclaimed knowingly. His voice the opposite of his friend's "Looks like our stop's here! Come on Trent!" 

"About time." Says the other Dauntless, Trent, who uncrossed his arms and cracked his knuckles as his red haired friend marched to meet him at the back of the train again. 

"Wait," the Amity boy with dark hair and freckles protests, "do we have to jump onto the roof? But there's a huge gap! What if we fall?"

"The Dauntless don't ask questions like that." Zane simply says, his hair getting tangled by the wind. "They just go."

With that, the transfers scattered to make way for the two Dauntless, who charged for the doors and flew off towards the roof without any warning. Eren and Armin watched them in disbelief, but who firm hands soon clasped their shoulders and dragged them to the back of the train. 

"M-Mikasa?" Eren gasped. The Abnegation girl readied herself in the way she had observed the Dauntless boys had.

"We have to follow them." She said, grabbing Eren's sleeve. He pulled away. 

"She's right." Armin said over the wind. "And we don't really have to time to think about it. If we don't move soon, we'll be factionless. That much is obvious."

That was what the Dauntless did. You either follow them or pay for it later. You had to blindly jump when you didn't want to. You had to want it enough to risk your own well-being. Eren looked to his friends one at a time, and then nodded. "Okay. Let's go then. On three." 

"One."

"You guys!" The Amity boy cried. 

"Two."

"What if it's a trick?"

"Three!"

The three friends bolted, eyes locked on the roof top that was quickly rushing past. With all the strength they had in them, they pushed hard against the floor and glided through the air. There was a moment of weightlessness, and the emptiness below felt vast enough to swallow them whole, but they were somehow safe. The impact of landing on the roof shuddered up Eren's legs and made his knees buckle. He winced, feeling the gravel under his hands reopen the tender wound on his palm, and he picked at it carefully. There were whoops and shouts from the dauntless borns, and Eren looked up to make a quick head count, especially looking for Mikasa and Armin, who rubbed their aching legs. There were eleven girls and boys dressed in black. Nine others, including himself and surprisingly even the Amity boy from the train, wore more alien faction colors. There was a total of twenty sixteen year olds who chose Dauntless this year. All of which had managed to make it this far, at least. 

"Well done initiates!" An unfamiliar voice called out from behind Eren. "My name's Hanji Zoe. I'm one of the faction leaders here." Eren stood up and looked over to see a person, standing on the ledge of the roof, clapping happily. This particular person was an adult Dauntless, with brown hair casually tied up in an extremely messy bun, and a pair of glasses, that looked more like goggles, perched on their nose. Eren had never seen anyone other than an Erudite wear glasses before, and he pushed his own up involuntarily. 

"Well, you're a big group this year. You all managed your first two tasks too!" Hnaji says, placing their hands on their hips. "Now that you've successfully made it on to the roof, it's time to find your way down. Perhaps you've noticed by now, but there are no stairs."

Eren had not.

He looked around, confusion making his head spin wildly, until this eyes landed back on the ledge Hanji was standing on. 

Everyone was quiet now, even the Dauntless born. 

"You want us to...jump off a roof?" A Candor boy asks, dumbfound. Eren recognized the voice, and looked over to see none other than horse-face, the boy Eren fought with all the time in class. Great. Fucking great. How had he not noticed he and Jean picked the same faction?

"That is correct!" Hanji smiles at Jean. "It is, in fact, the only entrance into the faction available to outsiders."

"How do we know you're not just trying to separate the thoughtless idiots from the rest of us?"

"Well, you are the one who chose this faction, initiate. Did you expect us to just invite you in? You've got to show us you're worth choosing as well. If you don't jump, I hope the factionless like you. If you do, you prove you're worth putting some time and faith into."

A few dauntless born laugh, and Jean's expression hardens. Though, it looked as though they were a little weary themselves. 

"So!" Said Hanji, sharply clapping their hands together. "Someone's got to go first. Who's it gonna be?" 

For a few seconds, no one moved or spoke. Then, out of nowhere, a hand shot up. 

"I'll go!" Zane shouted, waving his arm about. Hanji stepped down form the ledge and gestured for the excited boy to take his place. 

"Well, you've gotta do it now!" A girl from the crowd called out. 

"Go on Zane!"

"He's not actually going to jump."

Zane stiffly walked over the edge of the roof and peered down to whatever was waiting for him below. His hands twitched as he stood there, staring. 

"The damn kid's afraid of heights." Trent said, shaking his head "There's no way he's going to do it."

"Alright, count me down!" Zane quickly twirled around and called out to his audience. "Start from five!"

"This is ridiculous." Trent roles his eyes. He uncrossed his arms and walked briskly over to clearly stalling Zane.

"Five!" A few Dauntless members started. Zane's eyes meet Trent.

"Four!"

"Hey man, don't steal my show!" Zane protests against his friend.

"Three!"

"Well, you're not going to jump, so I might as well."

"Two!"

"What!? Now you stop right there mister angst!" 

"One!" 

Zane scurried over to Trent, who had stepped up on the ledge at this point, and tugged hard on his arm. Trent immediately started to loose his balance, and Zane clumsily started reaching out to his tipping buddy. Everyone gasped as Trent grasped Zane's shirt and, quite hilariously, pulled on Zane so hard that the poor freckled boy was plain tossed over the side of the building. Armin, Mikasa, and Eren stared in horror as a streak of red hair tumbled out of view, followed by petrified screaming. The Dauntless, along with Trent, erupted with laughter so intense that a few had to wipe tears from their eyes as Zane's screaming faded.

"Do you think he's okay?" An Erudite girl that Eren knew as Historia asked worriedly. 

"Who cares?" Answers a tall, freckled Candor girl. 

"Alright!" Hanji said, peering over the ledge. "Next!"

Trent was already up. He calmly turned towards the rest of the initiates and lifted two fingers to his forehead, giving a salute before jumping off backwards. The Dauntless gave fist pumps, while the transfers stared wide eyed and silent. 

A line began to form. There was a bit of pushing and shoving involved, which did not please the transfers. The next two jumpers were Dauntless. One specifically looked like he was going to hurl instead of jump. Then, the first transfer stepped up. She had long brown hair held up in a ponytail, and wore a yellow shirt with a red skirt, a classic Amity outfit. She looked at the ground, and gulped. 

"What's the matter sweetheart?" Someone called. "Afraid of heights?" 

"No!" The Amity girl called. "Afraid that I picked out the wrong outfit this morning!" 

There were laughs from all around, and the girl bunched up her skirt and jumped, screaming a rather joyous scream all the way down, earning her cheering form the Dauntless. 

Up next was a Dauntless girl. Then that damn Candor boy Eren hated, two more Dauntless, and finally it was Eren's turn. 

He felt the wind brush the hair away from his face, and he gulped as a dizzy feeling overtook him. Eren had to take a step back to regain his balance, making Mikasa step forward.

"Are you okay?" She asked "You better get yourself together, you have to jump eventually."

"Yes, I know Mikasa!" Eren answered heatedly. A Dauntless born behind them clicked his tongue, and turned to the guy next to him.

"Hey, how long does it take for an Erudite to hit the ground?" 

"I don't know. How long?"

Eren bit the inside of his cheek and ripped off his glasses. Turning to the crowd of people, he held them up, and threw them to the ground, smashing them damn things into the gravel under his foot. 

"I'm not an Erudite anymore!" He spat. With that, he marched right up to the ledge. He didn't quite have it in him to really jump, so instead he just tipped himself forward and let gravity do the rest. Eren fell through the parting air like a knife slashing water, and choked back a scream and his eyes welt up with wet tears. His whole body stung as the blood pumped and the wind howled. He surged towards a hole in the ground, only them having realized that he had jumped without knowing what was at the bottom. Panic spiked up in every fiber of Eren's body, but then he smacked into it, hard and painfully. 

A net.

The ropes dug into his skin and dipped around him, stiffly cradling his body. It was a good this he didn't prepare to hit something like water. He might have broken something. 

Eren gasped for breath as his lungs tightened from the impact. He hadn't really enjoyed the falling, and hopefully that would be the last time he'd ever have to do it here. Still, he had done it! He had jumped off a roof! How many people honestly get to say they did something like that? How many people wouldn't have Eren's guts? There was suddenly a wave of hands that crashed over the shore of the net. They fished around for Eren, flailing for him to grab on. Some hands had rings, tattoos, or painted nails. Others had bracelets, scraps, and bruises. Eren reached for the closest one, realizing that if he had to get off the net soon, or he'd be killed by the next jumper. 

His fingers wrapped around a wrist, and the hand attached to it grabbed back in response. He was pulled over the side of the net, and his feet fell to hit solid ground again. Only, he wasn't completely prepared for it, so the hand he had grabbed had to steady him. 

"Breath through it nose." Said the voice next to, using the slang not unkindly. "It's not that bad of a ride anyway. I think it's kinda fun."

Eren looked over to see the owner of the voice, and was shocked when he did. There was a set of dull blue eyes staring back at him, with corners that dipped down rather than up. Her long face was framed with wavy brown hair with purple tips, and her small nose had a stud piercing that glinted in the low light around them. The girl's playful smile quickly faded into a confused grimace, and then wide eyes of disbelief.

"What's your name initiate?" A man that Eren hadn't even noticed asked from behind.

"Huh? Oh, uh, Eren..."

"Alright Eren, no need to look so scared, you probably won't die. Go on Nova, announce the boy's arrival."

Nova, the girl who had pulled Eren off the net, blinked at the man expressionlessly before glancing at Eren. 

"Interesting." She mumbled after inspecting him. Then she grabbed Eren's hand and lifted it into the air. 

"Eren!" She shouted out into darkness. Eren thought maybe these people were crazy but then he realized where he was standing. Below the platform where he had landed, a sea of Dauntless members cheered so loud that it made his chest rumble. He squinted into the low lights to see the crowd of them spread throughout the room, smiling at him and pumping their fists.

Nova lead Eren to the edge of the platform as another body hit the net. It was Mikasa, and she hadn't even screamed. Eren, still feeling a little disoriented, followed Nova willingly, and she turned him around so his back was to the people under them. 

"Alright, welcome to Dauntless Eren." She said. "Hope you've got what it takes!" 

She shoved him. Hard. So hard he stumbled backwards, and his stomach dropped as he fell. Only, they caught him. The Dauntless below gracefully held him, and then threw him up and down, passing him back. Eren couldn't think about anything else except how happy he felt. In all his sixteen years at Erudite, he never felt at home like he did in this moment, being held up by his future faction. He was a speck of blue in a chaotic ocean of black that kept him afloat as one of their own. 

 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

"Does she look familiar to you?" Armin asked, as he sat on the steps at the back of the room to catch his breath. He looked like he was going to faint when they pulled him off the net. Another jumper fell, and the Dauntless rushed to help them out. 

"Who, her?" Eren asked, pointing to Nova. 

"She was there the day the terminal was attacked." Mikasa reminded her friends. "When the Erudite boy needed to get to the hospital, we drove him. She was there."

Eren didn't say anything more as Armin and Mikasa chatted more about that day. He watched as another transfer was helped onto the platform, and Nova raised their hand high into the sky for everyone else to see. The transfer stumbled while they smiled, like they were still dizzy.

"Connie!" Nova announced, her eyes scanning the crowd of faces staring back at her, until they landed on the three friends in the back who closely watched her. Feeling a cold shiver run up her spin, Nova quickly turned away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for taking the time to read my work! It means a lot.  
> Who is your favorite AOT character? Mine switches around a bit between Eren, Petra, and Armin. I think my biggest favorite, however, is Isabel.


End file.
